Rizpah's Choice
by LovetheGem
Summary: When it comes down to leaving she knows exactly were she will go. Her brother....
1. Chapter 1

Prologue 

"I'm going were?" Rizpah yelled across the room at her straight-faced father. He sat back in his straight back chair a lot like him, stiff, old and not caring if it hurt you or not as long as it was not affected.

"You are going to Aunt Rosalie no matter what you try to say to get me to reconsider! And that is final!" Rizpah stomped out of the room screaming in frustration. She did not want to go to Aunt Rosalie's to train to be a lady or how to be a good wife when she married, if she ever did.

Paul caught her by the arm as she went running down the hall nearly making her fall. "What's up?" he asked seeing her red face and eyes that looked like they would pop out of her head.

"Dad" she yelled throwing her arms in the air. "He is making me go to Aunt Rosalie to be taught to be a _lady_. What does he think I am? A Dog!" she put her hands by her side and looked at her older brother.

She was nearly as tall as he was and he was five feet eleven inches. Their hair and nose was the only thing that made them look like they were from the same family. They both had a small button nose and blond hair with a light brown to make it seam always dirty. The other kids would always tease them about their hair until Rizpah had shown them who the boss was. Even though she looked like she would brake at any touch, she was strong and new how to fight that is why she had wanted to become a Shitah Warrior at age six but instead her father told her if he heard one more thing about them, and he would kick her out of the house. She believed her father because her older brother, wanting to become a trickster, did not stop asking her father until he was kicked out at age 13 for not stopping. She would remember that day forever. Matt had always been her favorite brother next to Paul, and seeing him after their father had yelled at him to pack up and leave, gave her the shivers. His list words to her were "don't forget me and I won't forget you," he also told her he would have a Shitah Warrior come pretending to want a job being a nanny for her, so she could learn to fight. That was seven years ago and the only word she got from him was what the Shitah Warrior told her about his adventures.

She always remembered that time when she looked at Paul because he looked just like he did, wind stricken hair and lime green fervent eyes. Paul, now considered the older brother, was sent to train for night hood. To her dad there were only two of them but to Paul and Rizpah there was something still missing.

"I'm running!" she said trying to turn away but Paul held on to her. He new this day would come, she was the strong one in there family, not even there mother could bare there father after he kicked Matt out so she had killed herself leaving them to fend for themselves. "Just promise me something," he said pulling her into a hug, "you will come to my ordeal." He pulled her away knowing he could not hold the tears back any longer. They came down in long streams and her eyes filled to.

"No matter what I'll be there," she said. She hugged him one more time and ran down the hall to pack for her long adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter I**

She had always known the way of the rode from what Leana, her Shitah teacher, told her about her adventures. She had planed this for years but wanted an excuse to leave so her father would not try to find her. She packed her saddlebags with all the clothes she needed not leaving an inch of extra space, she would need all the things she could pack. She went over to her dresser, picked up a black jar, and pored out its contents on the carpet. She did this to four more jars like it. There were about one hundred Rebbles in each, which would last her about five or six years without a job. Feeling proud that she had saved all her money since she was three, she put one jar in each of her saddlebags. She was ready.

She hid her things under her bed and ran to Leana's room. "I'm running" she whispered when she was standing next to her. Leana looked up from her book, "Finally!" she said jumping up, "when do we leave?" Rizpah looked at her. She new this lady old as she was would want to come too, so she told her to meet them in the stables at midnight when the guards were in bed.

Rizpah woke up at eleven and took a shower. She made note to wash her hair and brush her teeth not knowing when she would be able to wash again. After that, she opened her bags to make sure she had not missed anything. Then she put on clean cloths and went down the hall to her brother's room. Sneaking in she crawled into his bed "I'm going to miss you!" she said, he had been awake and she new he would be.

"I'll miss you even more now that I'll be the only one here to be criticized!"

"Don't worry," she said hugging him "you'll be gone most of the year, and when you become a night then you wont ever have to come back here to live." Rizpah got up and walked out of the door blowing a kiss to her older brother and dearest friend for the last time before she left.

She gathered up her bags and went down stairs as quietly as possible sneaking into the stables. She rubbed down two horses one for riding and one for there things. Denny her favorite horse would be the one she rode, Copper the other horse would be like a pack mule until she got a job or a house to live in. A few minutes latter Leana came in and saddled a tall gray chestnut named BeBe. Leana put her things on Copper's saddle next to Rizpah's and mounted BeBe while Rizpah made her way out of the barn on Denny with Copper close behind.

Rizpah looked back at the house, which looked so much like a castle. She saw her brother's light on and his balcony window open. There he stood in the wind waving not saying a word. Rizpah waved back not able to keep the tears from rolling down her face. She wished so much she was not going but she had to. She could not go to Aunt Rosalie's house to become a lady when she was someone who liked to fight and go on adventures like her older brother. "Her older brother" she thought, "that was it they would go see her older brother!" she turned out of the courtyard they rode for about an hour before Leana came up to her.

"So were are we off to first?" Leana asked her

"I was thinking we could go see my brother," Rizpah said looking at Leana, "and anyways he did write that letter saying if she could get away for a wile to come and see him." Leana nodded in approval.

"Ok to Matt it is, Do you know were her lives?" Leana asked her.

"Yes he wrote it in his letter, so lets get going." They went north of her home. "No," she said to herself, "this place was not her home any longer she left and never wanted to go back"

Their journey was hard and long. They stopped at about mid morning to eat a fast breakfast and to water the horses. They were a good team Rizpah and Leana. When they stopped for there lunch, they set up camp because they had ridden all day long. Leana set up their bedrolls and Rizpah cooked the meal. Before Rizpah had left, she raided the kitchen for any uncooked meat, cheese, and bread. She found canteens, pots, and pans to put in one of her packs too. She also had gotten a knife for the food.

A few days latter, Rizpah and Leana, rode up to a simple little house in the city of Torona. The house was only one story, and looked like it could only fit maybe four people. There was a little garden in the front yard with pumpkins, caritas heads and a stick in the ground that said potatoes. Rizpah jumped down from her horse and gave Leana both Denny and Copper's rains. She walked up the short walk felling herself shake. What if he didn't recognize her? What if he had a family and didn't care about her anymore? What if he sent her back? She stood at the door for a moment then knocked. The door opened to reveal a little girl with the same color hair as hers.

"Hi," the little girl said, "Did you come for my birthday party? I'm turning three." A man came walking down the hall saying to the girl, "Amber, your birthday party isn't…" he stopped seeing who was in the doorway. "Rizpah?" he asked squinting his eyes, "is that you?" Rizpah just stood there not knowing what to say. He had changed so much. He was now 20 and taller than he was when she last saw him, but he still had thoughts green hungry eyes and the same hair as her. All she could do was nod. Her eyes filled with tears. She remembered what he said as he rode out of the courtyard. "Ill see you some day, when you're my age!" and here she was thirteen years old standing in the doorway.

He came over and hugged her tight. "I'm so glad you're here, I missed you so much!" Rizpah hugged him back. "Daddy," the little girl said, "who is this daddy? She looks like me. Is she my Mommy?" Matt let go of Rizpah and picked Amber up.

"Amber this is your Aunt Rizpah. She is my sister. She's going to stay with us until she gets a place of her won." Amber wiggled out of Matt's arms and stood in front of Rizpah.

"Aunt Rizpah?" She asked making it sound like Riz-ie-pu. Rizpah kneeled so that she was face to face with the little three years old that looked so much as she did.

"Yes?" she asked

"Do you know who my mom is? Daddy said that he found me one day in my mom's house but she was gone." Rizpah looked up at matt, it did not even faze him to try to change the subject.

"Hey amber, do you remember are talk yesterday? You know who your mom is." Amber looked up at him.

"I know that." She said "I want know if Aunt Rizpah does," she looked back at Rizpah waiting for an answer.

"No," she said I don't know your mom." Rizpah stood up. "Leana is outside" she said turning around and gasped, both Copper and Denny were tied up to the fence but Leana was gone.

"Oh Ya, I told Leana when you are here she can leave." She turned to look at Matt.

"How do you know so much?"

"I'll tell you latter," was his answer, " but right now Amber will show you your room."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter II

Amber grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the hall. "Dad said someone was coming to stay with us but he didn't say that it was going to be my Aunt though." She pulled her through a kitchen with a table pilled with food and cake. "I'm having a birthday party tonight at six." Amber said pulling her though a door. Amber jumped on a bed in the middle of the room. "Dad was getting this room ready last week. I thought it was for my mom but dad wouldn't tell me." Rizpah sat next to Amber.

"Do you know your mom?" she asked looking round the room. There was a desk, a dresser, and a closet. It was simple but nice.

"No," Amber said "dad said that when he found me I was a little baby," Rizpah thought about this the little girl sitting next to her looked almost like an exact replica of her except for her eyes and dose.

Matt walked in carrying all four of Rizpah's saddlebags. He set them on the bed with a grunt. " What do you have in here?" he asked Rizpah who had turning to her bags and started to empty them out.

She put her jars of money on the dresser and her beloved cat, whiskers; Matt gave to her for her fourth birthday, on her bed.

"Goddess, you still have that." Matt said picking it up "didn't I give this to you about eight years ago?"

"Nine" Rizpah corrected him automatically.

There was a door slam and a yell from the other room. Amber jumped up and ran out of the room yelling. "Papa!" Rizpah looked at Matt.

"Not her real papa. Henry, that's his name, kind of adopted me as a son when I came down here." Matt walked toward the door. Come and meet him before everyone else gets here." Rizpah followed him out of the room. Sitting in a chair was an old man about in his sixties; he did look like a grandfather. He held Amber in his lap and pulled out two packages. One was a lot smaller than the other was. "Well," Henry looked at Matt, "If your dad says you can, you can open this little present before everyone gets here." Amber looked over at her dad.

"Daddy may I please open one of papa's presents to me." For the second time Rizpah was surprised at how well behaved Amber was. Matt put his hand on his chin in a mock thinking.

"Hum…" he said, "should I let you open it? Hum…" he put his hands out in a shrug. "Well I guess I'm stuck you said please so yes you may." Amber laughed and took the present Henry was holding out to her. Amber squealed when she found what was in the paper. Little peaces of dark stuff were in a little bag.

"Cocoa! Papa thanks! I'm going to wait to eat it though because my party is going to start soon." Just as she said that, someone knocked on the door. Rizpah watched Matt walk out of the room not knowing what to say to this strange man she sat down in a chair at the table and Amber turned toward her. "Aunt Rizpah are you ready for my party?" Rizpah looked at the little girl and just then noticed she was wearing a party dress and Henry was wearing a nice outfit.

"You know I have the perfect dress for your party. Let me go get it on." Rizpah walked out of the room into her bedroom.

She went through her bags until she found a light green dress that Paul always said she distracted the guys with. She pulled it on and put her curly hair up into a bun with her favorite gift from Paul, Flower pins. She washed her face and looked into the mirror. She looked good she decided.

Rizpah walked out of her room to see three more people. A little boy about Ambers age, another boy maybe about seventeen and a lady that was fifteen years older than Matt.

Matt and the lady were talking about school. The older boy a was playing with Amber and the little boy than Amber spotted her. "That's the dress you're wearing. It's beautiful Aunt Rizpah!" Amber came up to her and walked around her like a vulture.

"So Amber who else is coming to your party?" Amber jumped at the chance to recite her long list of friends.

When Amber was about halfway though her list, there was a knock on the door. This time Rizpah got it since everyone else was preoccupied with ambers list. Rizpah opened the door to a boy her age and a little girl hiding behind his leg. "Come on in, parties in the kitchen." The boy stepped in then turned around.

"Come on Patty, Ambers waiting for us." The girl named Patty did not move. Rizpah seeing she was not going to anytime soon crouched down at eye level. "Hi Patty," She said "I'm Ambers aunt Rizpah. I have herd all about you. Amber while going through her list of people that were coming said your name at lest five times because she was so excided you were coming!" the little girls eyes brightened and she took a step forward. Rizpah held out her hand and she took it. The boy who brought her just stared then took patty's other hand.

"Daddy do you think Amber will like her Present." Rizpah did not show the shock on her face. This boy was no older than 15 and had a three year old kid. Rizpah still held on to her hand as the boy answered, "Yes, I do. She doesn't have many friends that just give her money." Rizpah and her two companions entered the kitchen to a scream.

"Patty, you're here!" Amber took Patty's arm and they went to play with the little boy. Rizpah felt a pair of eyes on her and she turned to see Patty's dad looking at her.

"Matt never said Amber had an Aunt or that he had a sister." Rizpah smiled.

"While I wouldn't think so since we haven't seen each other for seven years. He had to leave the house at thirteen." Rizpah walked over to the table were the lemonade was and started to pick up the ladle when a hand took it out of her hands.

"Its not proper for a lady to poor her own drink."


End file.
